Book Review: Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management
Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management. Edited by Lauren R. Shapiro and Marie-Helen Maras. Springer; https://link.springer.com; 1,016 pages; $599.99
An encyclopedia’s purpose is to deliver a summarization of a topic or piece of knowledge in relatively short articles. It is to provide a basic overview of topics and provide answers to simple facts pertaining to that topic. This type of publication performs a function. It provides context. It identifies where a particular topic or subject of interest fits in the greater, overall body of knowledge.
The Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management does that. It is an accumulation of articles written by many academic professionals from around the globe, specifically focused on various interdisciplinary aspects of security and emergency management.
The book covers a wide range of topics—airport security, workplace harassment, manmade and natural disasters, critical infrastructure, among many others—and it is inclusive of various sectors of business. This online-accessible encyclopedia provides real-world, reliable information for those professionals who need to consider and apply the information within law enforcement, security, counterterrorism, IT, and other related interdisciplinary professions. Should there be any developments or new research to any of the articles, the editor and authors can amend those entries to reflect the new developments.
This publication provides a lot of information in a structured format: defining the topic, providing an introductory context of the topic, a brief conclusion, real-world examples, and cross-referencing within the publication itself. In addition, the work cites external references and suggests further reading for the reader to dive deeper into that subject matter.
Overall, the Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management is an interesting resource for security, law enforcement, and emergency management professionals to have access to.
Reviewer: Michael White, CPP, CRM, is president and principal forensic security and security/risk management consultant of the Michael White Group International. He brings his expertise in forensic security, security, and risk management coupled with years of experience in emergency management to assist private organizations, government entities, and high-profile public figures in mitigating risk, enhancing their security profiles, and preparing themselves for emergencies. He is an active member of ASIS, serving as the secretary of the ASIS Physical Security Community Steering Committee, and he has contributed to the ASIS Chief Security Officer, ASIS Risk Assessment, and ASIS Physical Asset Protection Standards, as well as several other related ISO peer reviews.
